The Lantern - March 21 2019

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TUESDAY

THURSDAY

FOOD WASTE

P2

Smart Campus Challenge winners use funds to reduce food waste on campus.

‘TAKE BACK THE TAP’

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Ohio State students should ‘Take Back the Tap’ to reduce water bottle consumption.

ARTS&LIFE

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Columbus Symphony Orchestra to perform Jurassic Park score alongside film viewing.

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Fraternity suspensions cause Greek life membership to drop for first time since 2010

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Haskins reminds everyone he’s “the best player in the draft.”

THE LANTERN

ACHILLES’ HEEL

Thursday, March 21, 2019

PRO DAY

The student voice of the Ohio State University

Year 139, Issue No. 17

Behind the scenes with OSUPD JASMINE HILTON Lantern reporter hilton.93@osu.edu

AMANDA PARRISH Assistant Campus Editor parrish.272@osu.edu Total membership numbers for the Greek community at Ohio State dropped for the first time since 2010 due to the suspension of four fraternities. According to data provided by the Office of Student Life, the membership for Greek life decreased from 4,644 in 2017 to 4,371 in 2018. The numbers are from the fall semester of each year since being under the deferred joining system, which only includes social Greek letter organizations, Dave Isaacs, spokesman for the Office of Student Life, said. Isaacs said the decrease is due to the fact that at the time the 2018 numbers were compiled, four large fraternities had been suspended: Alpha Epsilon Pi, Phi Kappa Psi, Sigma Alpha Mu and Tau Kappa Epsilon. Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Alpha Mu were suspended in May until 2023 after violating the Alcohol, Hazing and Endangering Behavior and Failure to Comply with Earlier Sanctions sections of the Code of Student Conduct. Phi Kappa Psi was suspended in June until 2022 for violating the Hazing and Endangering Behavior sections. Tau Kappa Epsilon was suspended in January 2018 for three years after an investigation found them guilty of hazing, endangering behavior and improperly using alcohol. Jake Severyn, president of the Interfraternity Council and member of Phi Kappa Tau at Ohio State, said the drop in total Greek life membership is just a momentary change in the numbers, and that their recruitment projections for 2019 are expected to be on par with what they have seen in pre-

vious years. “We feel there is still that desire to join Greek life,” Severyn said. “While the total may have shifted a little bit, I don’t think [the suspensions] impacted our recruitment.” From 2010 to 2017, the membership numbers representing all social Greek letter organizations showed an increase every year. The largest jump in membership occurred from 2015 to 2016, increasing from 4,173 to 4,623, with the smallest occurring the years following with 21 more people involved in 2017. In terms of recruitment and increasing membership, Severyn said IFC tries to go out and talk to students about what the Greek life experience is about for those who might have never interacted with the Greek community before or are a first-generation college student. “Greek life is about something bigger than yourself,” Severyn said. “I think the biggest part IFC has in all of that is helping communicate that to students.” With the recent suspensions, Severyn said IFC has worked with on-campus organizations to come up with ways to advocate for safe practices in the fraternity community. “When I look back on that suspension period, that really was a moment for us to realize what are some of the things that are happening in our community and how can we address them,” Severyn said. “It was a learning experience, and it really put into perspective what needs to change in our community.” Severyn said that the community is looking to address the issues that have risen in the community, but it starts with understanding what they are. GREEK LIFE CONTINUES ON 2

2018 FRATERNITY SUSPENSIONS

JACK WESTERHEIDE | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

Phi Kappa Psi

JACK WESTERHEIDE | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

Sigma Alpha Mu

JACK WESTERHEIDE | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

Tau Kappa Epsilon

JACK WESTERHEIDE | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

Alpha Epsilon Pi

The first thing a student can expect out of the OSUPD Community Police Academy is nothing like what they’ve seen on their favorite cop shows. “We’re learning the insight into the job and more technicalities that you wouldn’t see on television,” Kilea White, a second-year in criminology and criminal justice, said. “It’s the things that you don’t always see out in public.” The Community Police Academy offers Ohio State students and faculty a behind-the-scenes look into a day in the life at the Ohio State University Police Division through a rigorous four-week training program on OSUPD policies and procedures held each semester. Each session includes weekly classes in Blankenship Hall, with a delivery method of classroom lectures and practical application to as many as 20 participants, concluding with an optional two-hour ride along with a university police officer. Detective Cassandra Shaffer, program coordinator, said it is an inclusive experience that many won’t be able to find anywhere else. “A program like this is pretty innovative,” Shaffer said. “There’s not a lot of departments that can say they do this, especially in the university setting.” Started in fall 2016 under the direction of former Chief Craig Stone, the mission of CPA is to encourage and develop the relationship between the university community and university law enforcement through education and community interaction, Shaffer said. Shaffer said University Police are here to not only protect persons and property, but also to value the opinions of the community to improve as a police division. The classroom lectures consist of presentations, case studies and discussions on police strategies by University Police members who specialize in the field of discussion. For example, one lecture focused on the University Police’s dedicated unit for criminal investigations that assists the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. This unit investigates quesOSUPD CONTINUES ON 3


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